Steering-propeller



(No Model.)

J. CLARK.

v STEERING PROPELLER. No. 337,479. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

WITNESSES.- I I m WNmQMXrW.

ATTOR/VEVT.

N. PETERS PhotvLZlhwgrnpher, Washington. D. c.

llNrrn STATES Mam tries.

JOSEPH CLARK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

STEERlNG-PROPELLER.

EPECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,479, dated March 9, 1886.

Application filed September 28, 1835. Serial No. 178,343. (X model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH CLARK, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a steeringpropeller of that class in which a steeringscrew is mounted in the rudder of the vessel and actuated by an intermediate gearing from the main propeller-shaft, so as to produce the more effective steering and propelling of the vessel.

The invention consists of the combination of a propeller-shaft carrying the main screw and a bevel-gear back of the screw, a loose bevelgear on the rudder-post, and bevel gears, an auxiliary shaft carrying a steeringscrew, said auxiliary shaft meshing by a bastard wheel with loose transmitting bevel-gear of the rudder-shaft. The auxiliary shaft turns in bearings of the rudder, the steeringscrew being located in a recess of the same and pitched in the opposite direction to the main screw. The auxiliary shaft is thrown in or out of gear with the main shaft by a forked and wedge-shaped slide-piece that is guided along the stay of the rudder and operated by suitable mechanism. The auxiliary shaft 6 is geared to rotate wit-h greater speed than the main shaft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations of my improved steering-propeller, showing the same respectively in and out of gear with the main propeller-shaft, and Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section of the slide-piece for throwing the shaft of the steering-screw in or out of gear with the main propeller-shaft.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the main shaft, on which the main screw B is mounted. The rudder is hinged to a fixed rudder-post O, that is supported by a shoe, 0, and bearings at the stern of the vessel. The rudder D is operated by any suitable steeringgear, and is provided with an opening, at, in which a steering-screw, E, is arranged, that is applied to the auxiliary shaft E, supported in bearings e e of the rudder. The auxiliary shaft E is not located in line with the axis of the main propeller, but at some distance above or below the same, and provided at its inner end with a bastard wheel, f, which meshes with a bevel-wheel, f, that is turned loosely on a thrust-bearing, f of the rudder-post O. The bevel-wheel f meshes with a bevel-wheel, f on the end of the main propeller-shaft A, and transmits motion to the bastard wheel f and auxiliary shaft E. The steering-screw E is pitched in opposite direction to the main propeller, so as to revolve in opposite direction to the same. The steering-screw is protected to some extent by the rudder that surrounds the same and imparts an effective steering action to the rudder. The auxiliary steering action of the screw E is produced in any position of the rudder, as the bastard wheel f travels around the intermediate bevel-pinion f and is always in mesh with the same. Whenever it should be desired to dispense with the action of the auxiliary screw,the same can be thrown out of gear with the transmitting gear-wheelf by the raising of a forked and tapering slide-piece, F, which is guided in dovetailed ways of the vertical stay of the rudder back of the bastard wheel f, as shown in Fig. 2. The slide-piece F is raised or lowered by suitable operating mechanism from the vessel. At the moment the slide-piece is raised the pressure of the water on the backward in its bearings and throws the hastard wheel f out of gear with the transmitting bevel-gearf, as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen the slide-piece F is lowered by its operatingmechanism,the wedgesliaped end of thesamemoves over the auxiliary shaft and bears on the back of the hub of the bastard wheel, so as to move wheel f meshes with the transmitting bevelgearf, as shown in Fig. 1.

The essential feature of my invention consists in arranging the auxiliary shaft of the steering-screw above or below the axis of the main shaft and revolving the steering-screw in opposite direction to the main screw by the bevel gear and bastard wheel transmission. Whatever be the position of the rudder rotary motion is imparted to the steering-screw by the transmitting-gearing, while the steering-screw, being out of line with the vortex formed back of the main propeller, is less efthe auxiliary shaft forward until the bastard steering-screw moves the shaft of the same IOC fected by the same, and assists thereby in the forward propulsion of the vessel and the more effective steering of the same.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide an auxiliary screw in the rudder of a marine vessel; but said auxiliary screws were rotated with the same speed as the main shaft, whereas I gear the shaft carrying the auxiliary screw to rotate with greater speed than the main shaft.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the main propellershaft carrying the main screw, of an auxiliary shaft carrying a steering-screw, the auxiliary shalt being supported in bearings of the rudder, and of transmitting gear-wheels respectivel y on the main shaft, rudder-post, and auxiliary shaft, the gear-wheel on the auxiliary shaft having less diameter than the gear-wheel on the main shaft, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the propeller shaft carrying the main screw, of an auxiliary shaft carrying the steering-screw, said auxiliary shaft being supported in bearings of the rudder above or below the axis of the main shaft, a bevel gear-wheel on the main shaft, a loose bevel gear wheel secured by thrustbearings to the rudder-post, and a bastard wheel on the auxiliary shaft, the diameter of the bastard wheel being less than that of the bevel gearwheel on the main shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the main propeller-shaft, of a rudder hinged to the rudderpost, an auxiliary shaft supported in bearings of the rudder and carrying a steering-screw, said steeringscrew being mounted in a recess of the rudder, and bevel gear and bastard wheel transmitting devices, the bastard wheel having a less diameter than the wheel on the main shaft, whereby motion is imparted from the main shaft to the auxiliary shaft, the speed of rotation of the auxiliary shaft being greater than the speed of rotation of the main shaft, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, with the main propeller-shaft carrying the main screw, of an auxiliary shaft supported in bearings of the rudder and carrying a steering-screw, a bevel gear and bastard wheel transmission for giving greater speed of rotation to the auxiliary shaft than to the main shaft, and a forked and tapering slide-piece guided back of the hastard wheel on the auxiliary shaft, so as to shift said shaft and throw it in or out of gear with the transmitting bevel'whcel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH CLARK.

Witnesses:

DLLRTIN Pe'rav, ERNST WoLFF. 

